


Forgotten snow

by DiezSimmons



Series: Newsies cause thunderstorms [1]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Fluff, Gay, M/M, Mild Smut, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Threesome - M/M/M, musical AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-30 00:03:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16275101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiezSimmons/pseuds/DiezSimmons
Summary: Newsies fic about my three favourite characters, Race Crutchie and Jack. I like them together but there were almost no fics about them and I want to change that. This will be part of my new collection in which I write stories and oneshots about these boys that relate a bit to each other. Maybe some stories with other ships. Anyway I hope you like the story.





	Forgotten snow

It was a quiet night in New York. If you didn’t think about the factories that were still working non stop or the click- clack noise the horses made when pulling the carriages through the streets. High above that all in Jacks ‘penthouse’ it was relatively quiet. Crutchie seemed to have sunk deep into the world of the sleeping, curled up in the fetus position. It was a very cold night and Jack couldn’t sleep. He laid there shivering when he heard someone shout his name.

“Jack, Jack! Come down you have to help. There is something wrong with Race.” Davey was yelling at the bottom of the stairs. Jack shot up, waking crutchie in his struggle to get down as fast as possible, one of his hurt and the one who hurt him wouldn’t see the daylight of the next morning. He hurried down the stairs where Davey and Les were waiting for him. He could vaguely remember that Davey, Les and Race went out for the night as Race was invited for dinner with Davey’s folks. 

“Ay Davey what is wrong! Where is Race.” Jack nearly fell into Davey’s arms as he stumbled on the last step of the stairs. 

“He’s with Specs downstairs. We only managed to get him up until there but I think Specs and Romeo will carry him up. I asked them too. He’s unconscious and pretty badly beat up. He was shivering when we found him so I think he was laying there for a while.” 

“What do ya mean was laying there for a while. He’s with you and ya folks for dinner.” Jack was furious but he could hear Specs and Romeo coming up the stairs so he was mentally preparing for a wounded friend.

“He didn’t want to come with us. He said he would go meet a girl he met on the streets today. He insisted that he would be fine.” Les tries to explain but then Specs and Romeo appeared carrying a badly beaten and unconscious Race. 

“Quick boys, lay him down on my place . Davey, he doesn’t do girls alright. Les, you wake the others and make them all bring their clothing and blankets, we’ve got to keep him’s warm as possible even if it means that we’s be cold for the night.” Jack ordered everyone and then he climbed the stairs to where Crutchie was waiting for him, he had obviously heard him and had already shed his overshirt and thin blanket and now stood slightly shivering already in the cold November air. “Thanks Crutchie.” Jack said before helping Specs and Romeo lay Race down on the blanket that was Jack’s bed. As soon as they laid him down Jack knelt next to the unconscious boy and checked for other injuries that he couldn’t see. It wasn’t unusual for one of the boys to get injured, a lot fell from a flight of stairs or got into a fight with some bloke but Race never did. Yes he may seem to be a hotheaded, what he definitely is but he always made sure that he didn’t have to fight anyone, usually he just had a word fight before leaving the scene. Obviously that didn’t happen this time. Jack was relieved when he didn’t feel any obvious broken bones just a few gashes that had already stopped bleeding. 

Soon he heard the shuffling of a at least a dozen of feet that climbed the stairs to where Race was laying and were Crutchie was now visibly shivering in his thin shirt.  
“Specs could you’s help Crutchie pull up the roof please. It has a wall so maybe it will keep the cold out some more.” Specs nodded and Crutchie shot him a grateful smile as they pulled up the ‘roof’. It was no more than a few flaps of fabric that he had found over the years but it was better than nothing and they couldn’t afford more sick people. Not so long after that Les poked his head over the top of the stairs and the rest of the boys soon followed bringing blankets and things to keep themselves but especially Race warm. They had learned the hard way what happened if you didn’t keep your wounded warm in cold weather and they didn’t want to repeat with what happened to Mike last winter. 

“Thanks guys, lay everything you’s can miss over there so we can keep Race warm but make sure that you don’t freeze to death. Keep close to each other please and can someone get Katherine please, she’s a lot of spare things to keep us warm and we will need it.” Truth to be told he hadn’t seen Katherine a lot since the strike which was now over a year ago They had a quick flame but it died out quickly because Jack felt more comfortable with the boys. Katherine wasn’t angry, not anymore at least, but she started visiting a lot less and acted more cool towards the newsies as her fame grew, they all knew that her father had something to do with it but that didn’t make it hurt less when she stopped visiting all together at the end of fall. Albert quickly jumped up and left the ‘penthouse’ in search of Katherine and Henry quickly followed in an unspoken rule to not let anyone go out alone at night. A rule that was obviously broken tonight for some reason.

As the newsies sat there close together in the cold with their wounded friend buried underneath spare clothes and thin blankets, leaving the other teenagers without protection from the cold with that came through the opening in one of the ‘walls’. It seemed like an eternity before Albert and Henry returned with no blankets only a stretcher that Henry was carrying.

“Boys, what happened. Didn’t Katherine want to help. Boy I’s didn’t think she would hate me that much.” Jack let himself fall back onto his butt as he buried his face into the palms of his hands.

“We went to her and she is ready to help us. She gave us this thing and told us to go get you lot and that we had to bring all our stuff. We don’t know what she’s up to but it sounded alright.” Henry laid the stretcher down and together with Jack they moved Race onto it.

“Alright boys in five minutes downstairs with all of yours stuff. Then we go and look what Katherine’s done.” Jack says and without hesitation the boys all start to move. Specs helps Crutchie gather his stuff and helps him down the stairs while Henry and Jack move Race down those same stairs. In five minutes everyone was downstairs with their spare belongings gathered. “Let’s go boys. Albert you lead.” And with that they take off.

It seemed like they had been walking for ages and Jack swore that he saw the first glimpses of the sun when they finally stopped walking. They were still in Manhattan just more in the richer part, very close to newsie square actually now that Jack looked around. Crutchie was keeping up the pace besides the stretcher, he hadn’t left Race’s side since he was brought in. Jack adored his gentle friend and he knew he cared deeply for Race. He had seen them snuggle together when it was cold and their selling spots were so close to each other that if he yelled loud enough they could talk. Race also was the one person who new how to help when Crutchies leg had a bad day. Race was always close to Crutchie, he was also close to Jack but in a different way. When there had been a particular bad night full of thunderstorms they had to comfort a sobbing and trembling Race who had been so afraid that he threw up his already sparse dinner. They had sat there for most of the night underneath their blankets and their ‘roof’ as they held Race close. Jack, Crutchie and Race had formed a tight bond over the years that seemed unbreakable sometimes but when they fought, oh god then all hell broke loose that would result in at least a week of straight up ignoring one another. They would make up but not without encouragement from one of the other newsies who were tired of the moping teens. Jack wouldn’t wish for a life without his two best friends. 

Eventually they stopped walking as a small figure approached them. It was Katherine.

“Hey newsies, I’m so sorry that I haven’t been in touch with you lately but I was preparing something and I was afraid I would speak my mind and give the present away.” She was obviously excited, so much even that her voice hurt Jacks ears. 

“What is that present Plumber. We haven’t been walking for nothin’ haven’t we.” Romeo spoke up as he tapped his stick onto the the pavement nervously.

“Right yes, so follow me. You see that this is newsie square and since you still don’t have a real home I thought maybe I can help. So I talked to my father and he agreed with me and we built this.” She point to a two story building that was obviously recently build. “Welcome to your new home newsies. It is not much but it will protect you against mother nature.” She was obviously very proud of herself and the newsies stood in silence for a minute. She then handed a key to Crutchie. “Crutchie if you would do the honors to open the door for the first time.” Crutchie looked at Jack for approval and when Jack nodded he slowly hobbled over to the door and opened it smelling the new wood. “Look it even has the newest gas lamps and in the bathroom there is running warm water. On this floor there is also a kitchen and sitting room, upstairs there is a large sleeping space with bunk beds and you have access to the roof. I really hope you enjoy it and I’ll let you get settled in now.” Then she simply walks away into the night, leaving the Newsies there all on their own with Crutchie half into the house the rest still outside and one of their own still unconscious on a stretcher. 

“Let’s go inside boys, if we’s don’t like it we go back.” Jack said as he moved forward with the stretcher effectively pushing past the other newsies and directly up the stairs. He moved towards the bunk bed that stood against the far end of the bunk room, knowing that Race will thank him for that later. The rest of the newsies followed and claimed a bed, most couldn’t even believe that beds this soft existed. Jack threw his own stuff on the bunk above Race and Crutchie laid his belongings on the bottom bunk of the bed right beside and Albert dumped his stuff on the bed above Crutchie. Albert then marched towards the bathroom and he threw open the door, then screamed in an unusually high pitched tone and slammed the door shut.

“Al, what wrong!” Jack asked while trying to stifle a laugh.  
“Romeo was ready to try the shower!” Albert shrieks before he leaves the room through the open door that led towards the downstairs area. The moment he was gone the newsies all laughed out loud. Romeo pokes his head out of the bathroom with a blush creeping up his neck making the boys laugh some more.

Slowly the boys settled down for a few more hours of sleep before the sun would make its appearance, fortunately they would not have to walk for half an hour so they could even ‘sleep in’. Jack and Crutchie couldn’t sleep, they sat at their best friends bed waiting for him to wake up. As the hours past Race made no movements except for his slow steady breathing. Crutchie was slowly nodding of and when he finally fell asleep his head lolled onto Jack’s shoulder. Jack smiled and he softly maneuvered Crutchie more into his side so he would be a little comfortable while he was sleeping. Soothed by the warmth of Crutchies sleeping form and Race’s warm hand, Jack had held his hand for the whole night. As he finally nodded off it was just two hours away from the morning bell.

Way too soon the morning bell chimed and the newsies were woken up, most were tired and grumpy. Crutchie had to stay in the building because of his leg and they needed someone to watch Race. The boys were obviously not at it, Jack selling for himself, Crutchie and Race was nearly impossible until Les came and visited as he went back to school a little while ago, it was a wednesday so he was released earlier from school. Together the duo finished just in time for dinner and Jack gave Les some money for something sweet as they said goodnight. 

Jack made his way up the stairs with three plates of food just in case Race had woken up. His hope was squashed when he didn’t hear Race’s voice in the hallway. When he opened the door though an interesting sign greeted him, Crutchie had obviously cleaned up Race’s wounds and had somehow ended up in the bed curled around Race’s body. Jack also noticed that Race had moved, his arms around Crutchie his face marked with a pained expression. The little hurt he had that Crutchie hadn’t got him when Race woke up but it quickly vanished when he saw the little smile that was present. Jack gently sat down the plates on a nearby table before sitting on the side of the bed on Race’s side. Jack leaned closer to brush a lock of hair out of Race’s face. Slowly Race started to stir and then he opened his eyes.

“Hey Racer, how are ya feelin’.” Jack whispered in an attempt to let Crutchie sleep.

“‘M fine.” Race whispered back as he rubbed his eyes with his free arm, the other stuck underneath the other boy. “Bit sore but alright. I’ll make it.” Jack smiled, a joking Race was a happy Race and that was what he was going for. 

“You’s hungry? I brought chow. Maybe you can wake Crutch up so we can eat while it is still warm.” Race nodded and slowly shook Crutchie awake.

“Hey Crutchie, it’s time for dinner.” Race said as he handed Crutchie a plate that Jack in return handed him. They ate in relative silence, sometimes one of the three would say something that they all would agree with. It was a awkward silence for all three of the boys, two felt bad that they hadn’t included the third and one felt bad because he was jealous of the way the other two handled each other.  
“Guys this is too awkward. I’s think we should address the elephant in the room. I’s getting uncomfortable.” Race bluntly broke the silence as he set his plate away. “ What is tha matter Jack. You’s been looking at me and Crutchie like we’s doing something wrong.” Race sighs and Crutchie just shuffles closer to Race as Jack jumps up from his place with his hands in his hair.

“It’s just, god why is it so hard. I’s…. I’s like you’s a lot. Both of you’s. I’s scared that this is going to change everything y’know. You'll hate me guts forever.” Jack rambles as he paces through the room silently thanking the gods that none of the other newsies had yet entered the sleeping room.

“Jackie, we could never hate you’s. I like you’s a lot too and that will never change.” Crutchie piped in as he stood up shakily after sitting for so long. He hopped over to Jack, leaving his crutch to stand at the headboard of the bunk, and laid a hand on Jack’s shoulder stopping him from pacing and turning him around to face him. Crutchie laid a shaking hand on Jack’s right cheek before leaning up and standing on his good toes and giving him a kiss on his other cheek. Meanwhile Race had gotten up from the bed and walked up to the pair that stood there staring into each others eyes.

“Yeah Jack, we could neva hate ya. I mean look at us we’s not normal and we obviously like you a lot.” Then Race kissed Jack on his lips. When they moved away Crutchie kissed Race after a moment of hesitation. Slowly and sweetly they rotated their kisses, while two had their lips locked the third would kiss the others cheeks, or jaw and neck if your name was Racetrack Higgins for that matter. As it got later more noise could be heard from downstairs as the newsies slowly started getting tired so the three boys removed themselves from one another. Race and Jack moved two bunks next to each other to create a bed that could hold three, hoping that Albert wouldn’t mind having a big bunk on his own (he didn’t mind, he just gave them a weird look before shrugging and climbing into the upper bed), They slowly got ready for bed, Race took a shower, Jack went to the rooftop to draw a sketch of some sort and Crutchie massaged his leg and got the bed warm and cozy. As they got into bed they made an arrangement with Race at the wall end of the bed, Crutchie in the middle and Jack on the room side of the bed. When the lights had been turned off they shared a few more slow and sweet kisses before falling into a deep sleep.

That night thunder rumbled through new york but no one of the trio woke up because they knew they were safe right where they were.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually play Race in my own musical in my country, but I can't dance really well so that tap number and the ballet is killing me. Anyway I might write a second chapter to explain more if you guys wan't me too. Let me know and I'll do it.


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